Which statement about tenement housing is accurate?

Which statement about tenement housing is accurate?

• A. Tenements were mainly spacious and well-maintained
• B. Tenement housing was rare in the cities
• C. Many immigrants lived in crowded tenements
• D. Tenements were only for factory owners

Answer: (C)

Tenement housing shows how cities grew rapidly during industrial expansion, housing many people in cramped, often poorly maintained buildings near factories. These structures were designed to fit as many families as possible, with crowded rooms, limited light and air, and sometimes inadequate sanitation. Immigrants arriving in cities needed affordable places close to work, so they frequently rented in tenements. That is why the statement about many immigrants living in crowded tenements is accurate. The other descriptions don’t fit the lived reality: tenements were not spacious or well-kept; they were common in urban areas, not rare; and they were not reserved for factory owners—the residents were typically workers and their families, including many immigrants.

Tenement housing shows how cities grew rapidly during industrial expansion, housing many people in cramped, often poorly maintained buildings near factories. These structures were designed to fit as many families as possible, with crowded rooms, limited light and air, and sometimes inadequate sanitation. Immigrants arriving in cities needed affordable places close to work, so they frequently rented in tenements. That is why the statement about many immigrants living in crowded tenements is accurate. The other descriptions don’t fit the lived reality: tenements were not spacious or well-kept; they were common in urban areas, not rare; and they were not reserved for factory owners—the residents were typically workers and their families, including many immigrants.